Harnessing the sun’s rays
Like many communities, Cathedral City, Calif., is always looking for an edge in its battle to be affordable, attractive and prosperous for residents and businesses. However, as electricity rates increased rapidly a few years ago, the city grew less affordable. To combat rising energy costs, city officials launched a conservation project that included construction of a solar canopy to help meet the energy demands of public buildings.
In 2003, when Cathedral City had some of the highest electricity rates in the country, it began working with Minneapolis-based Honeywell Building Solutions to determine ways to reduce its energy costs, including adding energy-efficient lighting and controls throughout city buildings. Because the city is located in the desert just south of Palm Springs, the company suggested building a solar canopy to harness the abundant supply of sun. With more than 350 days of sun each year, Cathedral City had a potentially unlimited source of energy at its disposal. The roof of the Civic Center parking garage could house the canopy, which also would shade vehicles.
To pay for the $2.7 million project, the city signed an energy savings performance contract with the company that guaranteed the project costs would be covered by energy savings over time. The solar canopy made the city eligible for a $1 million state rebate, which when administered through the local utility, reduced the net cost of the bundled project and its subsequent payoff to less than 12 years (on a project with a potential lifespan of more than 40 years). Under the contract, the city did not spend any money up front and is projected to save approximately $180,000 annually in energy and operations. Those savings initially will offset capital costs, but rising electric rates could improve the return on investment and shorten the payoff period.
Construction of the solar canopy began in October 2004 and was completed last fall with more than 1,600 photovoltaic panels used for its construction. The canopy is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least 514 tons each year, equal to removing more than 100 cars from the road.
The solar canopy has created 170 covered parking spaces for the city and reduced taxpayers’ expenditures on energy. Along with other projects — such as upgrades to the civic center, fire stations, public works buildings and traffic lights (through new low-energy, light-emitting diodes) — the canopy will help the city decrease its annual electrical energy consumption by an estimated 26 percent.
Cathedral City’s canopy — and the shaded parking it provides — is bringing more people downtown and reducing air pollution. “People sometimes ask, ‘Why didn’t you build a park?,’” says Councilmember Paul Marchand. “But this project will not only allow us to build a park down the road, but to maintain it as well. Then they understand.”
Marchand adds: “The benefits of this project extend beyond the terms of this contract, and will have a positive impact on the next generation of residents. We hope our project can be a model for cities and counties striving to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, as well as the environment.”